Iraq fears outbreaks of rabies after cattle injury registration

Farmers and livestock owners in Basrah, Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces in southern Iraq have expressed concern over the spread of rabies among their livestock, following a number of of victims.

Ahmed al-Tamimi, an employee of the Basra Veterinary Department, revealed that management has been witnessing in recent days the examination of a large number of herders in the province, in order to be able to examine their sheep and their cows in anticipation of infection by some of them from "rabies".

Tamimi said in a press release: "The veterinary services have diagnosed some cases, which means that the disease exists and could lead to an increase in the number of cases" in the future.

He stressed that "the Provincial Health Directorate was attached to the Ministry of Health in Baghdad on this matter and took the necessary measures".

For his part, Dr. Abeer al-Wardi, from the Dhi Qar Department of Health, said that "animal health medical personnel yesterday executed a cow after being registered as infected with rabies".

"Preliminary laboratory results showed that a cow in the province was infected, while medical personnel used to know whether there was cattle affected or transmitted to the disease," he said. said Pinky in a press release.

Rabies is a viral disease that causes severe inflammation of the brain and affects warm-blooded animals, which is transmitted from one species to another, from dogs to humans, for example, and which is often transmitted by the bite of the infected animal.

Rabies causes death in humans at the onset of symptoms, unless the patient receives the necessary protection.